Management Issues Dog Ex-NFL Player’s Charity

A former Chicago Bears player’s foundation faces an Internal Revenue Service lien and questions from Illinois regulators, highlighting management problems frequently faced by star athletes’ charities, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Chris Zorich, a defensive tackle during the 1990s who was known for his food drives and other philanthropic work, said he had stopped tracking the finances of his eponymous foundation, which closed in 2008. He said he was unaware the organization had not filed tax returns since 2002, when it reported nearly $865,000 in assets.

Chicago sports luminaries such as the baseball stars Sammy Sosa and Ryne Sandberg closed or parted ways with charities they had started due to management issues. Among athletes “there’s this conception that in philanthropy – that in doing good – it will all take care of itself. It will not,” said Greg Johnson, executive director of the Sports Philanthropy Project.